subtropical

adjective

sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträ-pi-kəl How to pronounce subtropical (audio)
variants or less commonly subtropic
: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone
subtropical environment
subtropical grasses

Examples of subtropical in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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Karen was a subtropical storm in the North Atlantic Ocean Friday morning Eastern time, the National Hurricane Center said in its latest advisory. William B. Davis, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 Found in tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, it is now listed as of least concern rather than endangered, as populations have increased by around 28% since the 1970s. Nell Lewis, CNN Money, 10 Oct. 2025 AccuWeather is also forecasting a high risk of a tropical or subtropical development off the East Coast between October 10 and 12. Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2025 Box tree moths are native to temperate and subtropical climates in Asia and were first reported in Ohio in June 2023. Chad Murphy, Cincinnati Enquirer, 2 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for subtropical

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1829, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subtropical was in 1829

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Cite this Entry

“Subtropical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subtropical. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

subtropical

adjective
sub·​trop·​i·​cal ˌsəb-ˈträp-i-kəl How to pronounce subtropical (audio)
ˈsəb-
variants also subtropic
: of, relating to, or being the regions bordering on the tropical zone
subtropical forests

More from Merriam-Webster on subtropical

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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